


Alone Protects

by justfandomthings



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Insecure Loki (Marvel), Light Angst, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-24 12:24:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13213710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justfandomthings/pseuds/justfandomthings
Summary: Alone is what protects him, or so Loki believes. Besides, why would Anthony ever love him, of all people?





	Alone Protects

**Author's Note:**

> Sixth Form AU where Tony is an exchange student from the US, befriends Thor and tries to get close to one insecure, snarky Loki. In this story, Thor and Loki are mortals and they are all teenagers.

The problem with being the younger brother of a popular, well-liked, _popular_ -

Well, that wasn’t quite true. There were actually many problems with being the younger (as well as unpopular and mischievous) sibling of the very popular and well-liked Thor.  
  
But the biggest problem was that Loki was the outcast, and many people liked to tease him because of his low-status. _Low_ seemed generous, especially compared to his almighty and highly popular adoptive brother.  
  
Loki sighed from his corner of the gym, pretending that he wasn’t bothered as he watched his brother (kind of, but not really) dance from one female partner to the next as practically every male in the room watched with jealousy flickering in their eyes.  
  
It wasn’t that he wanted to be in Thor’s place because he didn’t. He didn't want to have the fancy footballer status and all the girls hanging off him as if he was a trophy and not a human being. Besides, he didn't even like girls, not in that way.  
  
But it still hurt because the one person whose attention Loki wanted, didn’t have any interest in him. Tony (Anthony) Stark was an exchange student from the United States, and quite easily the smartest person Loki knew (besides himself). It was why Anthony was years younger than the rest but in more challenging classes than all of them combined. He was witty with a sarcastic, almost dark sense of humor, and Norms, if Loki didn’t start crushing on the American the first time he had been witness to Anthony’s sass.  
  
Loki supposed it wasn’t quite fair of him to blame Thor for his unrequited lo- _crush_ , but Thor had one very important thing that Loki didn’t: he had Anthony’s friendship. And it wasn’t that there hadn’t been multiple opportunities for a friendship to blossom between himself and the genius, because there actually had been. Anthony had been the last of Thor’s friends that Loki had been introduced to, but from that first awkward hello, Anthony had tried to start a conversation with every following encounter between them. Loki appreciated the effort, he truly did. But when the person who made his heart beat wildly stood in front of him with a warm, friendly smile, Loki would snark and insult and _push_ , because there was a reason why the Liesmith had never had a friend and Thor had had so many.  
  
In the end, it was his fault that Anthony’s eyes fell when they were together, why previous attempts of conversation and sometimes witty (flirtatious?) banter had slowly trailed to a stop, and why Anthony could never look him in the eyes anymore without looking as if someone had kidnapped his puppy.  
  
And Loki hated it, hated that he had hurt Anthony and ruined any chance of _something_ between them, but it was okay, it truly was, because he was not a good person and Anthony did not deserve to be ruined by him. He had been reliably informed of his lack of heart, and if it took pushing Anthony away to ensure they could never become friends (or anything more than that) in order to protect Anthony from a doomed person such as himself, well, then Loki could (would) suffer in silence.  
  
Didn’t mean he wouldn’t silently brood as he watched Thor and his group of friends, including Anthony, laugh and bring life to the school dance as if the dance were a storm needing to be settled. Loki longed to be out there, to be the one in Anthony’s arms as they twirled around the gym, everyone watching them with a twinge of annoyance and jealousy because of how happy they were together...  
  
But it wasn’t meant to be.  
  
Loki should never have come to the dance. He knew he didn't belong and he wasn't wanted… but he had come anyway. Frigga had asked him to go (“It’ll be good for you, Loki. Maybe you'll meet a young, nice boy”) and Loki could never lie to her, so he had conceded to the black suit that felt too tight on him because it was Frigga and he hated to disappoint her.

But it was miserable, watching Anthony laugh and dance with others, all the while wishing to be the one to draw such a joyous reaction from the other.  
  
Somewhere on the dance floor, Loki could hear his brother laughing. The music was trailing off now, as the song ended and a new one began. Loki made a face as he recognized the slow tune. All the boys and girls naturally began pairing up for the romantic song, the one that would most likely bring close to the pathetic (lonely) school dance.  
  
Slumping against the wall he was blending into, Loki sighed and folded his arms over his chest. Well, he had managed to stay for nearly the entire dance. To stay for the conclusion- for the slow dance where he would no doubt watch everyone else dance with a partner as he stood off to the side, alone- would be humiliating. Loki was willing to stand in a dark corner for several hours to create an illusion to please his mother, but he would not stand as everyone else was in the arms of a crush and he was not. _He would not watch Anthony dance to a love song with someone who was not him._

Speaking of, where was Anthony?

“May I have this dance?”

Loki blinked, turning his head to gape at the stunning boy stood in front of him. Anthony stood to his full height, looking shy and unsure as he held out a hand in offer of his dance. To dance with _him_.

That couldn't be right. Loki looked around in the general vicinity, but he was the only one there. “You're asking me?” he finally managed to ask incredulously.

Anthony smiled. “Well, there's no else standing around here, so I must be asking you. Don't you think?”

Loki’s heart was pounding out of his chest. “But why _me_?”

“Because. I like you.” Anthony reached out with his hand again, his fingers gently brushing Loki's hand. “So, may I have this dance?”

“What makes you think I like you?” Loki demanded.

Anthony didn't even look surprised at the question. In fact, Loki thought, he seemed to be expecting it. “Besides the fact that you only talk to me?”

Loki glared at him for noticing. “Besides that.”

“Once, at a party, you were tipsy and told me that you thought I was cute.” Anthony winked. “Pretty subtle, Lokes. So, now that I've proven that you like me, can we get on the dancefloor before the song ends?”

"You wish…” Loki cleared his throat, hoping to all Gods that he wasn't blushing as badly as he felt he was. “You wish to spend your slow dance dancing with me?”

Anthony tilted his head. “Of course. Why wouldn't I?”

“Because you are not gay, and by dancing with me, you would be not only be announcing to everyone in the school that you like boys… but also, that you like me?”

Loki genuinely couldn't understand why Anthony was so eager to dance with him. Didn't Anthony know he would be blackening his name by dancing with the likes of him?

“First of all, there's a thing called bisexuality. And second of all, babe, I don't care if the whole world knows that I like you. I'm not ashamed to be seen with you.” Anthony gave Loki an appraising look, licking his lips subtly. Loki swallowed at the heated look, feeling his cheeks warm. The feeling intensified when Anthony slid his hand into Loki’s and guided him onto the dancefloor. “You can dance, right?”

Loki scoffed. “I think the better question is, can _you_ dance?”

“Touché, Loki, touché. I'll have you know that my mother made me take ballroom lessons for _years._ I'm great at this.”

“Ballroom?” Loki quirked an eyebrow, feeling some of his tension melt away as a small smile lit up Anthony’s face.

“Not as bad as you might think. Though I still have the scars on my feet from when my partner kept stepping on me.” Anthony made a face. “ _That_ wasn't fun at all.”

About to respond, Loki froze when he became aware of the eyes staring at them. Rather, at him.

“What's wrong?” Anthony murmured, noticing right away that Loki had gone pale. “You look… tense.”

“Everyone is staring,” Loki mumbled, lowering his gaze to the floor. “You don't...you don't have to do this, you know.”

“What, dance with you? I know that, dummy. I am a genius, after all. Give me some credit.”

“Why dance with me, then? Especially _now,_  of all dances.”

“Because I want to,” Anthony answered simply. When Loki stubbornly didn't look up from his shoes, he was unpleasantly surprised when he felt Anthony’s hand leave his waist. Shocked, and a bit hurt, Loki snapped his eyes open, only to gasp when Anthony touched his chin gently, tilting his head to the right slightly before lightly pressing a kiss to his lips.

Loki gaped.

When Anthony pulled back, his eyes were warm as he murmured, “I told you, I _like_ you. And I want to be your boyfriend, if you'll have me.”

It took Loki several tries to swallow around the lump forming in his throat but when he did, he whispered, “ _Yes_ ,” before leaning in to capture Anthony's lips in another soft, tender kiss.

Maybe he could be loved, after all. 

 

The End.


End file.
